Job Creation/Loses in Sligo.

Mint Sauce

Only days after the news that jobs were secured at the Steffil site in Finisklin, have just heard on todayfm that jobs are to go at Abbotts, at its Ballytivnan site.

Abbott seeking 180 voluntary redundancies in Sligo facility

Remember when I first came to Sligo and started working in Finisklin, there was always allot of movement down there, with traffic, new sites being built and extensions to others. Now it seems that half the units, sites, and car parks are lying empty. The Sligo Champion also had 3-4 pages of jobs advertised, now your lucky to get 1 page.

Its not just the Finisklin, but the town and retail parks as well, with little creation appearing in the future.

Thoughts/opinions/ideas?

AllGunsBlazing

We're going the same way as the north of England in the 80's. Industries there dried up and most job creation became magnetized to the south - and I think much the same will happen here in relation to us and Dublin.

Our town will diminish in size as people move there and abroad for work. Scary times ahead.

whatswhat

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Its not just the Finisklin, but the town and retail parks as well, with little creation appearing in the future.

Thoughts/opinions/ideas?[/QUOTE]

This weeks Sligo Champion ran an article stating;

SLIGO BOTTOM OF THE PILE IN RETAIL REPORT.

Parking cited as a huge problem is the wording used. By all accounts Westport came out on top as the best retailing town in the country.

I think that this is an absolute crying shame for Sligo and begs the question what do the powers that be think of this report? They should be ashamed that something so trivial as parking could help rank the County so low in a vital area of the economy. If adequate and cheaper parking would bring more shoppers to our vibrant town, this would create more retailers wanting to open shops here, thus creating more jobs.

I believe that Sligo is one of the most beautiful Counties in Ireland and it needs to start and blow its own trumpet more! Tourism sector sells itself short, another area that could bring potential jobs. Surfing, fishing, mountain climbing etc.. there are very few Counties that can offer a complete package of all the above, like Sligo can. Our Racecourse is even described as the most scenic course in Ireland.

The entire country is in a reccession and jobs are not easy but if we had the right people in charge of the right areas, we might just be able to grow and create jobs along the way.

Son Of A Vidic

irish-stew wrote: »

Thoughts/opinions/ideas?

Of course it doesn't help when we have a Chamber of Commerce Fúckwits and such cliques, who seem to continually stifle any progressive development in Sligo.

rizzodun

It's not just the council, the foundations of this town are based on a few businessmen who refuse in any way to allow competition into Sligo, the same crowd who milked it during the boom years and got fat off of everyone else, no wonder retail is dead in Sligo when half of the retail outlets are owned by a handful of people, with rent as one of the biggest overheads of any small retail business the rent in this town is just too expensive IMO. The fact that the councillors are in their pockets is a side note.

Plazaman

Such is the world of multi-national corporations. Abbott and Steifel both long term companies in Sligo and regardless of the Irish Economy, they are also working in a global economy so will be reshuffling their manufacturing processes around to suit. Prime example with these two companies as Abbott are moving the manufacture of a product out of Sligo whereas Steifel are taking on production of a new product allowing them to keep the workforce.

Swings and rounabouts, still it sad to go through Finisklin to see the rows of empty factories. I got excitied to see Tractech getting painted, thought there was a new company going in, but no, just to stop the building falling down seemingly.

whatswhat

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Of course it doesn't help when we have a Chamber of Commerce Fúckwits and such cliques, who seem to continually stifle any progressive development in Sligo.

How true. Take Heatons for example. When they wanted to open a branch in Sligo the other year, I heard at the time they wanted a unit in the Retail Park at Carraroe which I think would have suited their type of store. Request refused.

They were however allowed to open a branch on a one way street, double yellow lines for no parking with no car park provided! Defies logic!

I personally like Heatons and regularly shop there but even though I live in Sligo, I much prefer to go to the Carrick-on-Shannon Branch. Free parking close by and a nicer layout of the store as they are not as restricted for space. I am sure I am not alone on this one.

As Corvus pointed out, the ****wits need to wake up and smell the coffee! Stop stiffling progress for this County! If the big names in Retail want to come, fecking let them in, town or Retail Park, it does not matter, its still Sligo! They will draw in shoppers not just from Sligo but Mayo, Leitrim, Donegal, Roscommon etc.. Do they honestly think that the Retail Park will take away trade from the town? It would encourage it! Folk from all these Counties would take a day out and drive if it was worth it and I am sure that as shoppers, they would want the whole package of a shopping experience, town and all.

Unfortunatley, I have little faith in todays chamber of commerce and their attitude towards the Retail Trade in Sligo which is a crying shame. Lets hope that pretty soon, new members go into it, with vision and desire to create jobs in such an important field of the economy. They have the power but up to now, just abuse it.

davebirl

I agree, the fact that Heatons were shoed into that little box of a building is just crazy.

The fact that Sligo still does not have a proper Tesco makes my blood boil. The parking wardens out on Sundays is just daft, why should I go into town to shop and then have to pay for the privilage?

DickBunce

davebirl wrote: »

I agree, the fact that Heatons were shoed into that little box of a building is just crazy.

The fact that Sligo still does not have a proper Tesco makes my blood boil. The parking wardens out on Sundays is just daft, why should I go into town to shop and then have to pay for the privilage?

Yes its very annoying that we dont have a big Tesco but Sligo is no different that any other Provincial Town in the parking sense. We seem to have less and less spaces and the council are looking for every opportunity to charge.

whatswhat

DickBunce wrote: »

Yes its very annoying that we dont have a big Tesco but Sligo is no different that any other Provincial Town in the parking sense. We seem to have less and less spaces and the council are looking for every opportunity to charge.

Apologies but I beg to differ in the parking sense. Over this past month I have parked in Donegal Town, beside the river, prime spot for 30 cent an hour. Longford Town Center, 20 cent an hour and Castlebar for 30 cent an hour. The average in Sligo Town Centre is 1.20 per hour. This is probably on a par with Knock airport, apart from I dont want to leave the country, just go shopping in my home town! The 3 places above also did not threaten me with a maximum 2 hour stay or be clamped either! These other Councils have got it right, cheaper parking means people will stay longer, shop longer and spend longer. Sligo Council think that they are giving us the moon on a stick if they wave parking fees Christmas week, when all it means is you will have to be parked by the crack of dawn or the spaces will be filled! Just shows ye!

sligoface

i really think that the government needs to do more to help create jobs outside of Dublin, there are lots of towns like Sligo that were thriving and have been left to rot. there is no work here and so many of the shop/office units are empty, it's depressing. and the governments answer to this is to bring in this new Treo (fas rebrand) bull. we're one of the first to get it, with the other two being in dublin and one in wicklow http://www.independent.ie/national-news/unemployed-will-have-to-sign-contract-to-get-dole-payment-3259457.html

we really need to start demanding that the government do something about towns like Sligo where so many are out of work. they need to make it easier for people to bring business into the town which will bring jobs with them, instead they think the answer is to force the unemployed into half-arsed training programs that are all paid for by the dept. of social protection anyway and only create jobs for the people teaching and administrating the schemes, not the trainees, and are a waste of money (not to mention rife with corruption - hence the rebrand).

many on the dole have qualifications and experience and the problem is lack of jobs combined with big business greed and government incompetence and corrpution. it's not lack of training or effort amongst the public. instead of forcing people who have been put out of work by unscrupulous businesses looking for cheap labour to have to sign a contract to get the dole during an unbelievably desperate recession, why don't the government sign a binding contract to bring in a jobs programme that actually gets people off the dole? get rid of the extortionate rents and business rates and make the state-owned banks actually loan to small businesses. get rid of the free labor schemes now being used to fill vacancies that would otherwise be paid jobs. also change the current system where people who are self employed have no safety net if their business goes bust, if they've paid their taxes/stamps they should be allowed to get the dole just like someone who is made redundant. who is going to take the chance to start a business in a recession with no safety net? we give loads of tax breaks to foreign companies to come here but they will just pick up and leave when they can get cheaper labor overseas, why don't the government help the Irish people to create businesses and jobs?